


Unravel Me (And I'll Sew You Back Together)

by catnip



Category: 2PM
Genre: Alternate Universe, Elements of fantasy, Falling In Love, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-23
Updated: 2012-07-23
Packaged: 2017-11-10 14:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/467101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catnip/pseuds/catnip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by the short story Pop Art by Joe Hill. One day Taecyeon left everything behind in search of a new life. This is the story of what he actually found.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally posted to my livejournal in April of '11] The short story is NOT required reading to be able to enjoy this work :)

It had only been about a week. A week since he had said screw the big city, that it was time for a change. That there was too much noise and too much hustle and bustle. He wanted a simple life with no dramatics where he could sleep in as late as he wanted and live at his own pace and fulfill his childhood dream of being a paid slacker. Being a computer programmer made it easy. All he had to do was pack his clothes, his laptop, and he got the hell out of dodge. 

It wasn't as if he had a plan. But he had money, and in the real world that was good enough. All he had to do was weave his way along roads, wasting time until he found somewhere that was good enough. Maybe not good enough forever, but good enough for now. 

His legs were cramped and he was sure his car was going to permanently smell like over-cooked fast food fries. A sign that he had reached a stopping point. The town was small, but seemed beautiful, and he had half expected it to be filled with mutants or country bumpkins (was there a difference?) because of that. But he guessed the Universe approved of his mid-mid-life crisis and decided to cut him some slack, and it was as nice on the inside as it looked on the outside. Cute shops, normal enough looking people, no bums or garbage smell. He grabbed the first paper he saw and booked the first house that was listed for rent. 

The end. Journey over. New life started.

He had spent all of his time exploring downtown at first. It only took the first two or three days, there honestly wasn't much to see. After that he chose a locally run deli slash restaurant slash bakery slash probably a dentists too as his day spot. It was usually full, so he figured if the locals enjoyed it then it must have been a good place. The routine became get up whenever, get dressed, grab his laptop, and sit in the shop with a coffee and a sandwich until it was closing time. Some towns people came by his table now and then, usually the older crowd introducing themselves, and usually eying him suspiciously. He didn't take it to heart. It was a small town, tight knit, all those cliches. And all he had to do was flash a big grin and explain his desire to escape the big city before they were put at ease. Apparently no one here liked cities either and they would pat his arm and tell him good luck, good for him.

Another day had come and was almost gone. The sun was setting and the crowd was winding down, everyone going home to have a nice family dinner, or whatever stereotypical small town people did. He was busy clicking away on his computer working another job when the door jingled. His eyes glanced up automatically, looking at the new customer for a split second before going back to what he was doing. But there was something. He looked back up, staring at the stranger's back. He had a jacket, jeans, sunglasses. Normal outfit, hands stuffed in his pockets. At the counter he could hear the kid behind it say _the usual order?_ with a smile and the stranger nodded. He stood, waiting, fingers now tapping on the counter with a muted thup. 

And there were stitches on those fingers. Not medical stitches, keeping a cut together, but faint sewing stitches. Running down the side of his hand and disappearing into his sleeves. 

Time passed, how much he didn't know, but eventually the kid behind the counter came back with a big plastic bag and handed it to the stranger. He took it with another nod and turned around. And there were stitches on his mouth too. Carefully placed black X's running from one corner to the other, perfectly spaced and shaped. 

“Hey, you, why don't you mind your own business. Didn't your Mom teach you not to stare?”

The kid behind the counter had fixed him with a glare, and the stranger was looking at him now too. His expression was more like a tiny smile, maybe. One corner of his mouth seemed to be titled up, and with his free hand he waved slightly, fingers bending in a rather unusual way as he did. But that was all and then he was gone out the door. 

Taecyeon thought he should go too, because clearly he was hallucinating. Under the ever steady watch of the kid behind the counter and his glare he scooped his laptop up and was out of the shop. 

Maybe this town was full of mutants after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Taecyeon couldn't find the nerve to go back to the shop. He suspected Counter Boy would still be ready and waiting to glare at him, and the next time he sat down a talking pig might walk through the door. Though he had yet to see anything else amiss about town. Still. 

He decided since the weather was good the park would be a more refreshing and less stressful area to haunt. Unlike the store there were far less people. It was a small park with only swings, a fountain, and a tiny amount of benches and picnic tables scattered here and there. Not much of a draw once you were past the age of four. But that suited him fine, and he laid claim to the same table day after day. Sometimes he did work; other times he read books or surfed the internet. It didn't matter how he spent his day. The important part to him was getting out of the house and into the world instead of staying stuffed away in some cramped apartment like he had been doing before. He wanted to overdose on fresh air.

As ideal as things seemed, it soon became clear the Universe was not on his side like he had originally thought. Only a week after settling into his new pattern did the stranger and his stitches appear at the park. He looked much the same, same simple outfit, this time with headphones on and an mp3 player in his hand which somehow only added to the absurdity for Taecyeon. He made a conscious effort not to look this time.

Stitch stranger noticed him though. He paused, pulling his headphones off as he looked over. And then much to Taecyeon's disappointment he walked his way.

He stopped in front of the picnic table and waved, a repeat of the cafe, only this time Taecyeon waved back. Then his fingers gestured and moved this way and that for a moment before he paused, shaking his head and frowning it seemed more to himself than to Taecyeon. After a moment he pointed to the laptop and to himself, his hands making a typing motion. Reluctantly Taecyeon pushed it over to him.

He watched as the stranger, now seated, typed. It was slow and deliberate, his fingers poking at the keys with a force that under normal circumstances would have Taecyeon bitching. But there was no loud thunk of the keys in response, just the normal click-clack-click. After several minutes he was done and he turned the computer back around so Taecyeon could read.

_Yo! Ur new in town right? Sorry I didn't introduce myself the other day. We don't usually get new people here so I was surprised. My name is Junsu, I grew up in this town. Might be stupid to say it now cuz I bet u've noticed but I'm a bit different lol. I'm full of stuffing, stitches, made of fabric. Like a doll, u know. It's weird I know. Sorry. What's ur name?_

Taecyeon looked back up when he was done reading and when he did Junsu extended his hand. 

“My name's Taecyeon.”

When he took Junsu's hand and shook it he could feel the fabric of it give a little, the stuffing inside shifting against the force of his grip.

XXXXX

The small town seemed to be getting smaller, at least in Taecyeon's mind. The diner and the park were a bust now, and his next location turned out to be a bad idea too. Apparently Doll Boy enjoyed reading books. And talking. Or “talking” because with his freaky stitched mouth and stuffing hands it took 30 minutes to have a normally 5 minute conversation.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Junsu slowly scribbled on his pad of paper. His handwriting was worse than chicken scratch and if he hadn't been a walking pillow Taecyeon was sure he would break anything he touched with how hard he gripped his pencil. He almost regretted telling him he couldn't use his computer anymore for their back and forths. Almost. Finally Junsu slid the pad back over with a smile.

_I guess imma bookworm lol. But actually my fav thing is music. Do u have any music u like?_

“I don't listen to music much, no.” Taecyeon didn't bother looking up from the page after he was done reading it, instead pushing it back over and returning his attention to his computer screen. Maybe Junsu would get the hint this time.

The soft scrape of lead on paper told him he was wrong.

He muffled a grunt and gritted his teeth, trying to sound less annoyed than he was. “Don't you have anything else to do? I'm kind of busy right now.”

He he could see Junsu's posture stiffen a bit and his body move, a shrug maybe. His hands fidgeted on the table top like they were looking for something to do. Finally Junsu grabbed the pencil, writing again, quicker this time. 

_Sorry, I didn’t know. What r u doin?_

Taecyeon rolled his eyes and didn't attempt to hide it. Junsu seemed like he wouldn’t get a clue if it was sewn to his forehead anyway. “I'm a computer programmer. Right now I'm writing a code for something.”

_Wow, sounds way cool._

As he passed the pad back to Taecyeon, Junsu leaned over the table, trying to get a glimpse of the computer screen. Taecyeon obliged and shifted the laptop so he could see. He stared at the script for several seconds, or Taecyeon assumed he was staring, the ridiculously huge sunglasses he always wore hiding his eyes. Still leaned close, he grabbed the pad again, holding it out in front of Taecyeon's face this time.

_Looks complicated. U must be smart man :)_

Taecyeon grinned, brushing off the compliment. “It's not so hard once you learn.”

He spent the next 20 minutes teaching Junsu codes and programs, or at least he pretend like he could teach and Junsu pretended like he understood.

XXXXX

It was a rainy Sunday which meant that the park and the library were non-options. It was a bit pathetic, but Taecyeon hadn't been back to the diner even though it had been weeks now since the “incident”. That place seemed to be a swirling cloud of shame in his life. Instead he had been forced to shell out at more expensive restaurants around town after he got tired of surviving off of instant ramen cooked at his rent house. It probably would have been better to just invest in a cookbook, but making meals himself didn't fit in with his idea of a paid slacker. Being a paid slacker meant other people cooking for you.

So far he hadn't received any dirty looks. Either the rest of the patrons didn't remember his scolding or they hadn't been there, and Counter Boy regarded him with no emotion when he took his order. Taecyeon wondered as he bit into his hamburger if he was a robot. It wouldn't be surprising all things considered.

Then Taecyeon's new little shadow slid into the diner and Counter Boy's face lit up in the first smile he'd seen on him all day. Not a robot then. Probably.

Junsu didn't say hello to him at first, which gave Taecyeon time to take in his outfit. Yellow rain coat, rain boots that seemed to go up to his knees, rubber gloves, and an umbrella that now rested at his side to boot. After exchanging weird hand flails with Counter Boy he noticed Taecyeon and walked over, squeaking the whole way. He smiled and waved enthusiastically, and Taecyeon tried his best to return the smile, but he couldn't hold back. 

A bark of laughter spilled out of his mouth.

“You look....absolutely ridiculous.”

Junsu seemed frozen for a moment, but then his lips twitched down into a frown. He pointed out the window and wiggled his fingers up and down, gesturing to his body. It was too much for Taecyeon. Like a giant walking rubber ball doing charades. He laughed again, a hand holding his stomach while the other waved frantically at Junsu.

“Stop stop. I've seen what happens when cotton balls get wet. I get it.”

He took a deep breath, finally containing his amusement. It was only now that he noticed everyone, literally, was staring at them. Or more like him. And Junsu had that strange half smile on his face that he had worn the first time they met. 

Clearing of his throat, Taecyeon tried to think of something to break the tension of the moment. However he was beaten to it.

“Here, let me refill that glass for you.”

“No, that- SHIT.”

Counter Boy swooped in, pitcher in hand, and then proceeded to pour almost all of it all over Taecyeon's lap. He sprung up from his chair, knocking it and nearly the table over in the process, smacking away the pitcher as the rest of it poured out onto the flood. Counter Boy mumbled a few sorrys and tossed some napkins at him, like that was going to help fix the ice cold soda now seeping into his underwear. It was obvious he had done it on purpose and was the opposite of apologetic. After putting up enough of a facade he gave up faking and disappeared to a back room somewhere, leaving Taecyeon to stand dripping and sticky.

When he finally looked up, Junsu had already left.

XXXXX

So far nothing was working out how Taecyeon had expected it to. His mid-mid-life crisis felt like it was still in full swing instead of getting better. He had spent the past 3 days in his house, afraid to go out into town. He was sure his new nickname among the locals would be Soda Pants, and everyone would know about what had happened. He figured small towns and high schools were about the same when it came to gossip.

But he was starting to run low on food and sanity. This was the opposite of what he had wanted when he left his old life behind. He wanted to be out and about, having fun and living, not stuck back inside all day. After giving up on trying to focus on his work his mind wandered to the idea of leaving town and finding a new one. The country was full of towns just like this, only hopefully without the totally bizarre residents. He could even do some planning this time before he set out on a second road trip. 

Except every time the idea came up his mind shut it down. Maybe it was pride, or maybe it was simply the deposit he had already wasted on the house. He wasn't sure. He just knew he wasn't going to run away. What he _was_ going to do he hadn't figured out yet, but sorting out the wasn't counted as progress to him.

At a loss he flipped open his laptop and brought his email up, fully intending to write a long whining email to his mother in hopes she had some golden parental advice that would fix everything. Instead he was distracted by a new message in his inbox, the email address unfamiliar.

_From: JUNSU KIM  
To: Taecyeon Ok   
Subject: Yo!_

_Hey this is Junsu. I hope u dun mind, I asked round town fo ur info. Ur land lady gave it to me cuz I know her ^^ I thought bout dropin by but maybe u r sick? Cuz I haven't seen u anywhere round town. Anyway I jus wanted to make sure u r doin ok, if u need anything jus tell me and ill try to help u out :)_

_Peace~  
Junsu_

Taecyeon leaned back in his computer chair, closing the laptop with a harsh clack. His little shadow and its terrible spelling was spreading.

XXXXX

In the end, after overcoming an aversion he never thought he could feel toward his laptop, he did email his mother. Only he neglected to include details like his new fabric friend and his insane deli protector. No need to worry her. Instead he talked about how nice the town was, all the time he'd spent soaking up sun, and how he was still doing work too so she wouldn't scold. A part of him actually felt better after he pressed send. Once he was done he decided to finally step foot outside of the house and end the self-imposed solitary confinement. 

If Junsu didn't seem to hold any grudge against him about what happened then Taecyeon didn't feel that worried about what anyone else in the town might say.

It was on the evening end of day and the sun was almost gone. As the street lamps lit up Taecyeon realized he hadn't spent much time around town after dark. Usually once the sun went down he simply went home, either because he was being booted out at closing time or to avoid eye strain staring at a laptop screen in a pitch black park. He imagined there wasn't much in the way of nightlife, but what did he know, maybe there was some secret shady underground club scene that was the shame of the town and never talked about publicly.

Probably not.

It didn't stop him from wondering though. He walked along the mostly empty streets, glancing in shop windows as he passed. Most were closed or closing, empty except employees. He wasn't sure what he was looking for but he was looking. As he passed by the deli he lingered a moment longer, scanning the inside, but the only lights left on were coming from the backrooms and kitchen. 

Soon the street ended, and downtown sprawled into houses and roads to who knows where. 

As he settled in the familiar park he could feel the gnawing in his stomach. It was the same kind of gnawing he used to feel back in his old life. The gnawing he had run away from. He didn't know why it was there. He was laying on a picnic table, staring up at stars that could actually be seen crystal clear in the night sky, the temperature just right and the breeze cool. It was like a scene out of a movie, exactly what he had thought he had been looking for. Yet he didn't feel satisfied at all.

XXXXX

Taecyeon was...well, he didn't know how he was. But he didn't like it. At first he felt refreshed at finally being out of the house and among living humans again, only a few of which seemed to be giving him dirty looks. He had even been trying out new places. A coffee shop, a trip to a small local art gallery. He introduced himself to new people. Slowly he was trying to work his way into the community. But the gnawing didn't go away. In short, he was annoyed and couldn't figure out why which only made him more annoyed.

It was afternoon and the only thing he had to do at the moment was piddle around town kicking rocks and sulking like a baby. He had been to the library already, but it had been too quiet and he couldn't focus on anything. The park was scattered with random children looking for Saturday amusement and he didn't feel like being there either anyway.

There was one option left: the diner. He hadn't bothered to go back yet. Though he didn't care about side-eyes from the town citizens anymore, that place seemed like bad luck in general for him. No need to risk another scene. His boxers still smelled like coke. However, now it seemed like his only hope.

He walked toward the order counter, head held high, trying to look like he didn't give a fuck that Counter Boy had fixed him with a glare the second the door bell jingled.

“Can I _help_ you with something?”

“Are you the only person that works here? I never see anyone else.”

Counter Boy raised an eyebrow. “My family owns this place. I usually work out front and my parents work in the back. Is that all you came to annoy me over?”

“That's not a very customer friendly way to talk.” Taecyeon smirked, and when Counter Boy seemed to be about to launch into some colorful language over his snark he held a hand up to stop him. “That's not what I came to ask. I wanted to know where Junsu is, I haven't seen him in like a week.”

Staring. Radio silence. Taecyeon was back to thinking the man in front of him was a robot with the dead fish look he was getting.

“You're kidding me, right?”

“No. Why would I be?”

“Why? Because-”, Counter Boy paused, huffing out a breath, “Junsu's been busy. It's not your business.”

“I want to apologize for what I said, that's all. Just tell me his address or something so I can stop by.”

There was another pause and more staring, but with another huff Counter Boy grabbed the pad of paper he used to take orders. He scribbled something down on it before ripping the page off and handing it to Taecyeon. “If he knew you asked and I didn't tell you he'd get pissed, though I don't know why he likes you so much. Don't make me regret this.”

With a quick thanks and a salute Taecyeon was out of the diner, off to find the address on the paper he held in his hands. Two could play at this game. If Junsu thought he could stalk Taecyeon he'd show him, see how he liked it when he showed up on his doorstep unannounced. He acted as if he could come and go as he pleased, creeping and annoying Taecyeon whenever and then poofing into thin air. As if.

After a quick discussion with Google maps Taecyeon found his way. Junsu's house wasn't too far from the downtown area, a fifteen or so minute walk, which was good because he was more stealth this way. No noisy car to give him away before he even got to the door. 

The house wasn't small, but it wasn't big. It looked like a typical family house that you'd expect to find in this sort of neighborhood. A van in the driveway told him someone was home so he walked up and rang the bell without hesitation. 

It was only a few seconds before he heard the shuffle of someone inside and the door opened. A man in a suit answered, Junsu's Dad he assumed. An actual man. Taecyeon wasn't sure what he had been expecting. A whole family of weird plush people? But this guy looked like a businessman you could find anywhere else. Maybe Junsu inherited it from his mother.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, uh, does Junsu live here?”

And with just that Taecyeon was ushered into the house with a smile. No introductions or questions. 

“Wait here a second, let me tell him he has a visitor.”

He was left to wait in the foyer. This gave him a chance to visually snoop around the house. It was clean, moderately decorated. Again he wasn't sure what he had been expecting. Something far stranger than what was in front of him. There were family pictures hung here and there on the walls that Taecyeon could see. All of them were of Junsu either alone or with his Dad, normal Kodak moments like birthdays or trips he guessed. He felt an urge to inspect all of them a bit closer but before he had a chance Junsu's father returned.

“He's in his room, go on in. Just down the hall there.”

“Thanks.”

With a nod Taecyeon was down the hall, bursting into (what he hoped was) Junsu's room without so much as a knock.

“Hello!”

Junsu visibly jumped from where he was laying in his bed, the notebook on his lap sliding off onto the floor. But there seemed to be little annoyance or anger in his face, much to Taecyeon's displeasure. Instead he simply waved and smiled like usual.

Taecyeon took a seat at the edge of the bed, reaching down and handing him back the notebook. “I thought I would just drop in unannounced to bother you since I haven't seen you in so long. I got your email, by the way. Very nice of you to be so interested in my well-being.”

_It's nuthin. Thx fo coming by :) I've been stuck in bed fo few days now, I was getting bored._

Apparently in their time apart Junsu had yet to learn to be anything but oblivious. Or maybe Taecyeon was sounding too convincing with his sarcasm. Either way this wasn't working out as intended. 

“You look as.........ridiculous as ever.” Taecyeon paused, taking in Junsu's outfit. He had on PJ bottoms and a baggy t-shirt as well as his ever present sunglasses and jacket. He had just intended to be an ass but Junsu really did look ridiculous.

Junsu scribbled a response on his pad, hesitating for a few seconds now and again as he did before he was satisfied with what he wrote.

_Ya I got this umm thing, on my arms. It's why I’ve been stuck in bed. No biggie._

“What kind of thing? Did you get wet, you molding or something?”

That earned him a playful smack on the arm which was surprising, Taecyeon didn't know Junsu was capable of even faked annoyance. It was also only the second time he had ever come in physical contact with Junsu. The sensation of his touch on his skin was different. Weird. 

_It's not like that man. I don't mold!_

“So what is it like? Is it some secret normal humans aren't allowed to know?”

Junsu shook his head no, but made no move to write anything more on the notebook. His hands fiddled with his pencil, and he wasn't looking at Taecyeon, his attention focused on some spot on the wall. The awkward moment stretched on and on and this time there was no pushy friend to break it for Taecyeon. 

This _really_ wasn't going how he had planned in his head.

“I guess I'll just go, sorry that I-”

A hand grabbing his wrist stopped him as he was getting up from the bed. Junsu tugged gently, his fingers sliding ever so slightly over Taecyeon's skin. The feeling of it was soft. He had expected Junsu to feel scratchy, like starched sheets against his skin, but there wasn't anything he could compare it to. It made the hairs on his arm prickle. He obeyed the unspoken command, sitting back down, and when he did Junsu released him. Then, slowly and reluctantly he shimmied his jacket off, letting Taecyeon see more of him than just hands and face.

What he saw took him off guard. He had imagined Junsu as some kind of Raggedy Andy doll, body undefined and simply stuffed with filling. But the shape and sculpting of his arms was normal, just like Taecyeon's, creases and indents all where they should be. The stitch lines he had first noticed on his hands continued, running along both sides up the length of his arm. Here and there they seemed frayed with little tufts of string poking out from the stitching. But the most noticeable thing were the patches. 

All up and down his arms were patches. Some small like bandages, others large. It was obvious whoever put them on had attempted to match the color and texture to Junsu's own skin but could only get so close. Some were darker, others lighter, creating a patchwork of cream and brown across his body. 

Without thinking Taecyeon reached out to touch one. The largest. It covered the whole inside of Junsu's elbow, colored more like milky coffee than skin. It felt rough and thick under his touch. Slowly his fingers slid across, past the edge of the patch and back to Junsu's original skin, the change in sensation making his pads tingle. 

It brought him back to his senses and quickly Taecyeon pulled his hand away. If Junsu was bothered by his sudden touchy-feely outburst he didn't show it. Instead he began to write in the notebook again and for the first time Taecyeon found himself feeling annoyed at having to wait to hear what Junsu had to say. 

_I have to get patched up couple times a month. I have em on the rest of my body too. My fabric wears down and it don't grow back like skin or nuthin. I had to go to the doctor to get it done this time, but usually my dad jus does it fo me. He's the best seamstress in town no joke._

The usual grin had returned to Junsu's face as he handed the notebook over, his earlier uncomfortable demeanor gone. But Taecyeon still felt thrown off balance somehow. 

“Do they hurt?”

_Not really. It feels weird when I get em done. But I dun have any feeling in the patched spots so having them is ok._

Somehow reading this eased the tight feeling that had been clenching Taecyeon's stomach. Enough that he pushed it from his mind, not wanting to think about why it was there in the first place. He cleared his throat, tossing the notebook back into Junsu's lap. 

“Next time you should think about getting something cooler looking. Maybe some fabric with naked ladies on it. That'd be nice.”


	3. Chapter 3

As days went by the time Taecyeon spent wondering about how he should be living his new life seemed to dwindle. Micromanaging was out, spur of the moment was in. He wasn't making sudden decisions at 5am to go skydiving or anything, but he could feel the shift and it was nice. He didn't know what caused it but he didn't question the good things in life.

“Are you reading another book? You only started that last one a day or two ago.”

Taecyeon was half watching Junsu, half doodling on his napkin. He had been planning to go out and explore the town outside of the downtown shopping area that day when he spotted Junsu. Plans changed, and instead he coaxed him into the only coffee shop in town. 

And by coaxed all Taecyeon really did was grab Junsu's hand and drag him into the building since that left him in a position where he couldn't argue. That probably counted as taking advantage of the disabled, or something, but Junsu stayed and didn't look even a bit peeved over the sudden kidnapping so Taecyeon didn't think about it.

Junsu simply nodded in response to the question, not pausing in his reading. Apparently the book was interesting. Tilting his head Taecyeon read the spine of the book, _Hearing and Writing Music_. Something non-fiction this time. Then he remembered the conversation they had, or the conversation Junsu had been trying to have when he first snapped at him. 

He didn't mind being ignored in favor of a book. Since he had managed to separate himself from his laptop for the day Taecyeon simply sat, sipping his still burning hot coffee stubbornly and looking at Junsu as he read. He looked the same as ever. Jeans, shirt, jacket, glasses. Though he did decide to change it up some with a hat today, which in Taecyeon's opinion looked a bit girlie, but the opportunity to rag on Junsu over that had not presented itself yet. Something about him felt different though. Now it felt like Taecyeon knew some secret, something about him he hadn't been supposed to know. 

Nevermind the fact that most everyone in town probably knew it well before him and there was nothing “secret” about it. It still made him feel oddly good to have someone confide in him. Sure, he had friends back in his old life that he hung around with and talked with, but it was all rather superficial. This was something different, which frankly unnerved him a little. He didn't understand why Junsu had shown him. Taecyeon could admit he lacked when it came to social graces and knowing how to handle close relationships with other people at times. Something different meant he was starting to wade out of his comfort zone here.

Not wanting to think about introspective serious blah dee blah, Taecyeon shoved those thoughts on the back burner and went back to studying Junsu. He wondered what other interesting tid-bits of information he could manage to weasel out of him. There was bound to be plenty. No sooner had he started to let his imagination run wild did the light bulb in his head pop on. There was one secret he still didn't know about that was right there in front of him.

“Can you even read with those?”

At this Junsu did look up from his book, his eyebrow raising.

“Those sunglasses. It must be fucking dark when you wear them inside.”

A shrug and Junsu was back to his book. But Taecyeon wasn't about to let this go. 

“What are you hiding behind there?”

In one quick motion he stood, leaned over the small table, and snatched the sunglasses right off Junsu's face. And suddenly chaos erupted. Junsu practically threw the book out of his grasp, his hands flying straight up to his eyes, covering them before Taecyeon could so much as get a millisecond long glance. The book was flung across the table and only stopped when it went crashing into Taecyeon's coffee. The searing hot liquid spilled out, making a b-line for Taecyeon's crotch. Thankfully his drink avoiding reflexes had been quickened and he clattered out of his chair a split second before any of it could ruin his future chances of being a father. God bless Counter Boy.

A moment of silence passed, neither of them moving. Finally Taecyeon let out a loud sigh of air he didn't know he had been holding in. 

“Holy crap.”

Glancing around he expected to see the evil stare of small town folk. But unlike the diner this place was empty. The teenage girl behind the counter hadn't even looked up from her cell phone. That was good because Taecyeon was sure he had just royally screwed up.

“Are...are you okay? Did I blind you? Tell me I didn't just blind you or something.”

Junsu sat, hands still firmly covering his eyes, his head shaking in a small but firm no. Okay. That was good. 

Terrible bodily injury off the cards Taecyeon quickly got to work on the coffee that had now pooled across the table and the floor, sopping it up with about half the napkins in the dispenser. He glanced at Junsu now and then, but he might as well have been a statue, his position unchanged each time. 

When the coffee was finally gone and his fingers sticky, Taecyeon sat back down, trying to quickly calculate the best way to fix the rest of the mess he made.

“I'm sorry. Really sorry. I didn't know you'd freak like that. I just um...wanted to know, you know, why you wore those sunglasses all the time. You can put them back on, they're on the table. I'll close my eyes so you can. Promise I won't peek.”

Taecyeon did as promised after the end of his rambling apology, his eyelids shut so tight they hurt. After a few moments he could hear the faint ruffle of fabric and a plastic clacking. Then Junsu reached out, tapping him on the arm, which Taecyeon took to mean it was safe to look now. 

When he opened his eyes Junsu wasn't looking at him. Taecyeon could tell because he hadn't put the sunglasses back on. Instead he was looking out the window, his hands doing that fidgety thing Taecyeon noticed they did sometimes. Finally his glance slid back over and the two made eye contact.

“I was expecting you to have those plastic little googly eyes.”

Junsu fixed him with a glare, but a smile gave away his true feelings. His eyes were completely normal. Taecyeon could see faint stitching, creating the eye shape, but eyeball, eyelashes, all 100% human. Now he was confused.

“Why do you hide them? There's nothing wrong with your eyes.”

_It's weird. Or people think it is even if they dun say so. I'm all arts and crafts and then...normal eyes. Easier to cover em so no one feels uncomfortable if I look at em._

“But your hair is normal too and you don't cover that everyday.” Taecyeon reached across the table, flicking up a bit of Junsu's hair that was sticking out from his hat. “There's nothing weird about your eyes.”

_Really? Doesn't it feel awkward if I look at u? U don't have to lie._

“Really. I like it better this way. You look less like some kind of suspicious criminal.”

He wasn't sure why he felt the need to be so reassuring but it worked. Junsu smiled, and this time Taecyeon could see the way his eyes scrunched up and almost disappeared, little wrinkles forming at the corners. 

The next time he saw Junsu he still had his sunglasses on, but now the dark lenses that had been hiding him were gone.

XXXXX

It was late. How late Taecyeon didn't know, the hours passing by without any notice. He was sitting on his second-hand sofa with tv, a beer, and his laptop to keep him company. He had been trying to get work done after an angry email from a client reminded him he actually had some, but he was bored and unfocused. Staring at strings of symbols and numbers didn't sound so appealing at the moment. 

His fingers wandered the keyboard, clicking and typing random things, stumbling around the internet trying to find something interesting. He typed in “doll people” on youtube but all that brought up was some old movie and a bunch of boring home videos. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or something to feel sad about. 

More random typing and clicking. Just when he was about to call it a lost cause he found something that caught his eye. He recognized what was going on in the video, though he hadn't known the name for it. Curious he sat up, now intrigued and awake, a search for more information kicking in.

Once the sun was up again, he was on a mission. He had stayed up late and then slept in well into the afternoon which worked to his plan's advantage. Armed with a smirk he practically power-walked all the way downtown, prowling around the streets and shops looking for a certain someone. When his target failed to reveal itself he widened his search and headed out of town and into the neighborhoods. He'd only been once before but thankfully had a good sense of direction and found his way. 

There was no car in the driveway this time, but he knocked on the door anyway.

Junsu answered, looking pleasantly surprised. His smile turned to dumfounded surprise when Taecyeon said hello.

Or rather, when he spelled it with his fingers.

Once the shock wore off Junsu was a flurry of movement, his hands quickly signing. Taecyeon tried to follow but a few hours of study meant he didn't understand a damn thing Junsu had said to him.

“I have no idea what you just did.”

Junsu disappeared into the house leaving Taecyeon to stand confused on the porch. Soon he returned with a piece of paper in hand, words already on it.

_Do u know sign language or don't u???? Why didnt u tell me??_

“I spent a few hours last night learning how to....finger spell? I learned the alphabet. That's all I know.”

That seemed enough to get Junsu excited. He hooked Taecyeon's arm and pulled him into the house, almost forgetting to even close the door behind them, half sprinting to the living room and haphazardly throwing him onto the couch. Junsu may have been made of fabric but suddenly Taecyeon felt like the rag doll.

With a Very Serious expression Junsu sat on the coffee table in front of him, his fingers slowly spelling out words letter by letter.

_Can you understand this?_

After a moment of intense concentration Taecyeon signed back.

_Yes._

Junsu started grinning so hard Taecyeon was worried his stitches were going to pop. He looked rather insane, actually. Happy but insane. And Taecyeon found himself smiling back.

They spent the next few hours, side by side on the sofa, talking together about mundane things like the weather and their favorite colors so Taecyeon could practice. Junsu still split his time between signing and paper, finger spelling out some sentences letter by letter being too time consuming. Plus he didn't want to overload Taecyeon's brain all at once. He proved to be a rather quick study though and after the first hour Junsu only had to reach out and reposition his fingers from time to time, and he began to teach him words instead of only letters.

When Junsu's dad came home from work Taecyeon was still there. This time he properly introduced himself, finger spelling his name as he did. His dad looked at the two of them, Junsu like a proud mom and Taecyeon like a dog who performed a trick right and was waiting for his treat, and laughed.

XXXXX

Taecyeon was on another voluntary solitary stint. Sort of voluntary. His work continued to pile up and he continued to do nothing about it except complain. This turned out to be the wrong thing to do because once Junsu knew how badly he had been slacking Taecyeon found himself shunned. His texts went unanswered and apparently Junsu was a hide and go seek champion because he wasn't to be found anywhere around town. He also guessed that any more home visits would be ignored too. He felt confident he could have pressed and eventually wore Junsu down using messages filled with _;_;_ and _ㅜㅜ_ faces. But in the end this was for the best, and so dutifully he did his work.

He allowed himself one cheat to keep his sanity and had spent his two days working in the library. Still quiet enough to work but not quiet enough to drive him crazy.

It was getting to the home stretch when a loud thud on his table startled him out of his focus.

“So you're here after all.”

Counter Boy stood by his table, a pair of books tucked under his arm.

“Should I not be?”

“No. Junsu just said you'd probably be here,” he tapped the books under his arm, “so he sent me to run an errand for him. He didn't want you to see him and get distracted from whatever you're doing.”

“Oh....k.” Taecyeon drawled, not sure why this conversation was even happening. He never expected Counter Boy to ever bother with him outside of his job considering their.....history. 

“I didn't know you had such poor self-control, don't seem like that type of guy.”

“Excuse me?”

Counter Boy waved away the question with a smirk. “Don't worry about it. You may suffer from foot-in-mouth disease but your intentions seem good. I don't mind you stealing away my best friend as long as you treat him right.”

“Uh..”

“I'll be watching you!”

Counter Boy called behind him as he walked away, disappearing between shelves of books and out of sight. Taecyeon turned his attention back to his laptop, slowly getting back into his groove. He couldn't help but feel like he was missing out on something. The worry was short lived, however, quickly whooshed away when the last line of code was typed and the last simulation done. Taecyeon could finally go back to ignoring his job.

XXXXX

Summer was coming to a close. Taecyeon couldn't believe it really, that he'd already spent months in this new town. It seemed like only a few weeks ago when he got in his car and started his road trip to nowhere.

As a last hurrah to the season Junsu and Taecyeon decided to have a picnic in the park. A manly picnic as Taecyeon insisted on calling it. He had been surprised since Junsu was the one to suggest it and he didn't exactly eat, but it was probably one of the last warm days left so he went with it. They picked up the lunch part of the picnic from the diner and had to listen to Counter Boy whine about how they always left him out of the fun. Then he quickly changed his tune, saying he understood they needed alone time so it was okay. By the expression on Junsu's face Taecyeon was glad to know he apparently wasn't the only one mystified by Counter Boy's words.

Picnic blankets were deemed unmanly and so they sat on one of the ratty sheets Taecyeon had gotten at goodwill for his bed. While Taecyeon ate they worked out a pretty good system, and he was glad he had learned to finger spell and sign so he could talk back to Junsu with his mouth still stuffed full. He also insisted that Junsu stick to writing instead of signing because manly picnics were a time for relaxing, not language practice. This earned him an eye roll but Junsu didn't try to argue. 

Stuffed full of food, Taecyeon fell back onto the sheet with a satisfied sigh.

“He may be crazy but he sure does make good food.”

_He doesn't make it, his parents do. They don't allow him to cook lol._

“Whatever. Whoever makes it, it's good.”

_Hey that reminds me, how is ur mom? Still sick?_

“Nope. I had an email from her this morning. She said she was fine now.” Taecyeon looked up at the sky, eyes squinting at the sunlight. “What about yours?”

_??_

“Your mom. You've never said anything about her, and there are no pictures of her in your house. Did something happen to her?”

_No. Well, I dunno. She left after I was born so I don't know anything bout her. My dad hasn't heard from her in years either._

“She was human?”

_Ya._

“Oh. Sorry man, about her leaving. That's messed up of her.”

Junsu shrugged it off like he wasn't bothered, but looked away from Taecyeon, suddenly interested in the playground equipment on the other side of the park. Taecyeon hmm'd a little, the wheels in his head turning. 

With a sudden clap he sat up, repositioning himself in front of Junsu. “Tell me more.”

_More? More what?_

“More anything. About you. You're a bizarre walking teddy bear and yet there is much I have yet to learn. You are a mystery wrapped in a pillowcase.”

A swift punch was delivered to his shoulder, which he graciously let pass without a comment involving the words “hit like” and “girl”.

_I'm not a teddy bear u dick. U see fur? Don't think so. Sides it's really not so interesting bein like me._

“You're lying through your teeth. Er, stitches. Like I bet you've had a totally sheltered life. Tell me all the things you've never been able to do.”

_I dunno man. I bet u could figure it out urself._

Junsu was shifting in his seat, hands wiggling and eyes avoiding any contact. He seemed nervous but Taecyeon wasn't going to be so easily deterred. There were all these things he didn't know about Junsu despite the time they had spent together, and it was picking away at his brain. Somehow Junsu had managed to learn so many things about his own life but Taecyeon barely knew anything about his. Now he wanted to hear anything and everything Junsu had to say. The desire was sudden and he didn't know where it came from but he felt he couldn't ignore it.

“Can you drive?”

_No, not strong enough to keep peddles pushed in._

“Have you ever, in your entire life, touched water?”

_On accident sometimes._

“Did you feel it? Do you feel at all?”

_Yeah. I can feel if I touch something or it touches me. I dun feel pain or hot or cold tho, stuff like that._

“So if I set you on fire you wouldn't feel anything?”

_The fuck man!?_

Taecyeon barreled on, undeterred by the angry message that had just about smacked him in the face. “What about ah...” he glanced around the park, his brain trying to come up with more questions to ask. “Trees. Have you ever climbed a tree?”

Junsu glanced at the tree closest to them, shaking his head.

_No. Dad always told me it was dangerous, so never tried._

“Seriously? You're missing out. I spent my childhood climbing trees. Always made me feel like a super hero to sit at the top and be able to see out so far.”

For a moment Taecyeon lost himself in nostalgia, thinking of the time he fell out of a tree and broke his arm with a grin. Junsu watched him curiously but didn't intrude on his walk down memory lane. 

“Guess it wouldn't be as fun now since I grew up tall....anyway!” Back to earth and back to thinking, Taecyeon rubbed his chin exaggeratedly. “What about what you want to do? Like a job. You're older than me but still a slacker.”

The dig passed by unacknowledged. Junsu focused on the pencil in his hand, trying to choose what he wanted to say. 

_I want to be famous._

“That's easily done.”

_Not for being a freak._

That wiped the grin right off Taecyeon's face. Junsu began writing again, not waiting for a response. The sound of his pencil stretched on for several minutes and Taecyeon could sense a change in his mood as he kept writing. He couldn't place it, but it was something he'd never seen from Junsu before. Finally he handed the pad over after a moment of hesitation.

_I wanna make music. That's what I wanna be famous for. I wanna make songs that everybody loves and everybody will keep with them. No one will ever have to see me, but they'll know who I am thru my music. When i'm gone that's what people can remember me for. Not anything bout who I was or what I was made of._

Taecyeon stared at the words in his lap. The sudden confession surprised him, and now he found he didn't know what to say to this. He'd never been good with meaningful heart to heart talks and spent most of this life avoiding them when it came to other people. He liked to keep things light, fun. No emotional baggage. He was the master of deflecting everything with a joke. But he realized he had basically walked right into this one and didn't know how to walk out. For once he had wished he'd kept his big trap shut and not been so nosy. 

The moment stretched on and he could feel the awkward atmosphere starting to build between them, so he simply looked up and said the first thing that came to mind.

“I'll remember you. For you, your music, whatever. I'll remember you for it for sure.”

Junsu smiled, but this time Taecyeon could see it didn't reach his eyes and he wondered how many times before he had been faking.

Taecyeon didn't call him out on it though, and Junsu seemed just as happy as he was to let the subject drop, so onward the picnic continued. There was no more 20 questions or discussion of the past or future. They simply joked and talked until the sun was gone and the summer day had ended.

XXXXX

The walls were closing in. Literally. Or so it seemed. Taecyeon wasn't sure of anything at the moment. The past three days had been spent in a semi-conscious haze of fever and snot. He had long ago run out of pain killers and toilet paper to help remedy both of them and was now relying on vodka and an old t-shirt, but he couldn't say it was helping much. 

A knock on his door managed to draw his attention out of what he hoped were hallucinations. He called out as loudly as he could for whoever it was to come in, hoping it would be a door to door murderer come to put him out of his misery. Instead a very confused and rather disheveled looking Junsu appeared by his bedside.

He began to sign but quickly stopped when Taecyeon groaned and threw an arm over his eyes.

“Oh god I'm going to vomit. Don't move so much. Why are you even here.”

After a few minutes, and after he had almost convinced himself Junsu had been another hallucination, a paper towel with words scribbled on it in sharpie was laid on his arm. He stared at it and willed his brain to focus.

_R u ok? I txted u hours ago and asked where u had been. U just messaged me back like 20 min ago and said there was bears in ur house. I think. Ur typing was pretty shit._

“I don't remember any of this. Sorry. I've been sick for a few days now I think.”

Junsu frowned and quickly took the paper towel back, writing another note on it and then disappearing.

_I'll be back, just wait._

So Taecyeon waited, at some point during the waiting falling asleep. The next thing he was aware of was a gentle poking at his face. It tickled. Ineffectually he tried to swat whatever the fuzzy annoyance was but it wouldn't give up. At last he cracked his eyes open and saw Junsu again, sitting next to his bed, a small cup in his hand.

He held it out to Taecyeon and he took it without question, gulping down the liquid in the cup. The disgusting faux cherry taste immediately told him it was medicine of some kind. Junsu took the cup back and disappeared again. Taecyeon could hear water running and after a moment Junsu was back, a washcloth in hand. The shock of the cold washcloth against his forehead made Taecyeon shiver at first, but then it was like heaven. Suddenly he didn't feel so much like a turkey cooking in an oven.

“Do you get sick?”

Junsu shook his head no. What a lucky bastard. 

Another few minutes of blissful chill passed and Taecyeon's poached brain slowly started to processes his current situation. He tilted his head as best he could to get a look at Junsu.

“You're in your pajamas. What time is it?”

Junsu held up 3 fingers. Three rather sad, soggy looking fingers, the fabric darkened.

“You got wet too.”

The observation was ignored, Junsu reaching out and giving the washcloth a few shakes to recool it before placing it back on Taecyeon's forehead. Taecyeon was sure there were other things he wanted to say, but the medicine was kicking and it was too hard trying to think what they were. Soon fell back into sleep instead.

When Taecyeon woke again the sun was out. He rolled over onto his side and was surprised when something came flopping down onto his face. He reached up, remembering the washcloth now. It was still wet. He looked over next to him and Junsu was still there sitting by his bed. This time he had some paper and a pencil to work with instead of paper towels. Taecyeon noticed it seemed to be taking more effort than usual for him to write, but he didn't say anything.

_Feelin better? U woke up in time for more meds._

“I think my fever has gone down some. At least I'm not hallucinating anymore. Have you been up sitting there the whole time?”

Junsu gave a nod as he poured out another cup of liquid, handing it to Taecyeon. As he reached out to get the cup back he was stopped, Taecyeon grabbing his hand and pulling it toward him. He looked it over, pressing and poking at the wet fabric and soppy cotton of his fingers.

“You really are going to mold. What an idiot. I didn't ask you to be my nurse.”

Taecyeon pulled again, this time tugging his whole arm. Confused, Junsu pulled back, but Taecyeon didn't seem to notice. He shifted and shimmied himself to the other side of the bed and gave Junsu another yank.

“Come on, I don't want to pull out your stitching. Lay down already.”

An adamant shake of the head earned him an eye roll.

“I don't need you sitting by watching me like a stalker. You didn't get any sleep so come on. I don't wet the bed or anything I promise.”

Reluctantly Junsu gave in, too tired to put up a fuss and crawling into the bed next to Taecyeon. He had to admit he was ready for a nap after staying up all night. He wiggled onto his side, hugging the edge of the bed and trying to take up as little room as possible. And put as much room between them as possible. He didn't even dare touch the covers. 

Taecyeon didn't seem to notice or care about any potential awkwardness in their current arrangement, lost in his own universe of painkiller and sleep aid, and within no time he was in another deep sleep. It was only then that Junsu could relax and was able to close his own eyes.

XXXXX

 _You should decorate your house. It's boring._

Taecyeon was sitting up in bed, pillows propped behind him. After a day of rest and proper pampering he was feeling better. And now that his head pains were gone and Junsu's hands were dry it was back to signing. Recently Junsu had become a more strict teacher and there was no use in arguing that he was too weak and feeble to do it. Instead he signed slowly, in an attempt to hopefully annoy Junsu into giving up, but he had yet to seem bothered.

“Why? You're the first person to see my place. It's not mine anyway.”

_Dunno. I just figure if you are going to be staying here you should make it homey. But up to you man._

Standing up, Junsu gathered up trash and dirty supplies up from the nightstand with one hand and spelled with the other.

_Hungry? I got stuff at the store._

“You can cook?”

_Does it look like I would know how to cook?_

“No. But I wouldn't think you'd know how to take care of sick people either.”

_I'm surrounded by humans. Some things I can pick up on. It's called learning._

Then Junsu was gone, not bothering to wait for an actual answer. Taecyeon heard rummaging around in the kitchen, dishes clinking and the microwave humming. It was a little strange, being taken care of like this, now that he could actually think about it with a clear head. His own mother hadn't even looked after him while he was sick in a long time. But he wasn't going to complain about having someone cater to his whims even if he had to be delirious and feverish for it to happen. And if he found himself waking up snuggled next to the world's only living body pillow and liked it, well, he'd keep that to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Right now Taecyeon fancied himself a genius. He wasn't one to be modest, he could admit that, but even he was amazed at himself. Ever since Counter Boy had not so subtly hinted that Junsu had an upcoming birthday (apparently a month away counted as _upcoming_ in his universe) he'd been trying to think of something to get him. Usually he paid friends in a pat on the back and a beer, or something equally trivial, but that idea left a bad taste in his mouth. And Junsu couldn't drink beer anyway. 

He knew Junsu enjoyed all things musical but he didn't know what type of music exactly, another mystery to add to his growing list, and it wasn't as if he knew enough to be able to go buy something more complicated than a CD on his own. It felt like cheating to just give him money and tell him to buy his own present. So, what else was there? 

Sewing. That's what.

As he turned the corner he was happy to see a familiar car in the driveway of Junsu's house. It had taken careful planning, possible stalking, and conspiring with his once-upon-a-time nemesis to work out a date and time for this meeting. Junsu had turned into more a homebody lately, spending less time in town and less time around Taecyeon in general. He didn't bother him about it and he didn't admit that maybe he missed him. He would admit however that it made his mission all the harder. Thankfully Counter Boy had convinced his best friend they needed to spend some quality time together. Taecyeon had a few hours to work with now.

He parked his car and got out, striding quickly to the the door in a hurry to get started and get out of the new cold weather that had settled in town. Junsu's Dad answered the door, as expected.

“Hi Taecyeon. Junsu isn't ho-”

“I know. I'm not here to see him, I came to see you.”

“Me? What for?”

“I've heard that you're the best seamstress in town.”

Junsu's father looked at him like he had just professed to having three stomachs, but he stepped aside and invited him into the house anyway. After sitting and hearing Taecyeon explain himself he seemed to be put at ease, even chuckling a bit at his idea. And much to Taecyeon's relief he agreed to help.

He occupied himself by looking at the pictures on the walls while Junsu's dad left to get their needed supplies. Most of them he'd already seen a few times now, but he still enjoyed looking at them. Pictures of Junsu throughout his life, from the toddler years to more recent. The baby pictures were his favorite. Junsu reminded him of some kind of living My Buddy doll, smiling and tiny. He wondered what kind of kid he had been.

“I don't have much spare fabric for you to practice on, but it should be enough for you to get the process down. You can work more on your own stuff then and I'll help if you need it.”

With a huge plastic tub in hand Junsu's dad returned to the living room, sitting down next to him and placing the box between them. Taecyeon recognized most of the fabric that was inside it. Large sheets untouched, but some with squares cut out here and there, the patches that Junsu had all over himself. Junsu's dad fished out a wad of rumbled purple fabric that was shoved at the bottom as well as needles and thread. 

“Alright, first thing first. You have to be able to thread a needle before you can sew anything.”

And there his lesson began. After only a few minutes Taecyeon was ready to give up, finding it difficult to control his hands when working with such tiny tools. But Junsu's dad was patient and helpful, telling him tales of what trouble he had at first trying to teach himself how to sew so many years ago. _Necessity is the mother of more than just invention_ , he had said in that voice that all parents seemed to slip into when they were feeling reminiscent. 

Little by little Taecyeon improved, learning to do different stitches and tie them off. His fingers seemed to be getting used to the small precise moves necessary, less stiff and cumbersome. As he continued to practice, tasking himself with sewing two sides of the fabric together in a nice even line, Junsu's dad sat back and watched his work. Though right now it felt more like he was watching him. It was screwing with his concentration.

“Is this good so far?”

Taecyeon held out the fabric for him to inspect, but Junsu's father only took one quick glance at it before nodding. Then it was back to staring at Taecyeon. The distraction tactic was a failure but diligently he continued to work, trying to ignore the prickly feeling in his spine. 

“Back in my day, we did things differently. I guess times do change some.”

After minutes of silence the statement caused Taecyeon to jerk, adding yet another stab injury to his already sore fingertips. He bit back a hiss.

“Did what differently? Sewing?”

“No no. Not that.” Junsu's dad shifted so he was sitting up and level with Taecyeon again, though he was no longer looking at him. Instead his attention seemed to be on the picture frames hanging against the wall. “I remember back when I was dating Junsu's mom. Doesn't feel like it was that long ago, but I suppose it was. I had to go meet her parents and prove to them I was good enough for their daughter. I figured that was a lost tradition now.”

Taecyeon kept quiet and focused on his sewing, not sure where this conversation was going. It did surprise him to hear Junsu's father speak so easily of his former wife when Junsu himself had clearly not wanted to even mention her when asked. 

“I guess this is like you coming to ask my permission then, right?”

“Permission?”

Now Taecyeon looked up, brows furrowed. Junsu's dad was looking at him again though his time with almost a smirk on his face. Like he knew something Taecyeon didn't. 

“You could have surely taught yourself how to sew Taecyeon. Junsu told me you work with computers so you must be smart, and I bet it wouldn't have been hard for you to find how-to guides on the internet. Instead you went to great lengths to talk to me. Alone.”

“Sure, but-”

“It's fine.” Junsu's dad cute off whatever he was going to say with a smile. “I'd be a hypocrite if I loved my son despite his condition and then objected to other differences in him. And you seem like a nice kid. Junsu surely thinks so.”

By now Taecyeon had given up trying to focus on his sewing and looked, blank face, at Junsu's dad. He had come to learn how to sew and somehow his intentions had been twisted into he didn't even know what. A moment of silence passed between them as they exchanged stares. 

Then, surprisingly, Junsu's dad laughed.

“You look a bit lost. Maybe I got ahead of myself? Junsu's told me before I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. Well, that's okay.” He gave Taecyeon's knee a slap. “You'll figure it out on your own soon enough. Oh and, your stitching is crooked there at the end.” 

He tapped the corner of the fabric before standing up, walking away to the kitchen and leaving Taecyeon to sit there alone with his confusion and crappy stitches. 

When his phone rang he had never been so happy to hear the sound, quickly heeding Counter Boy's warning to get the hell out cause he and Junsu were on their way from the movies. 

Once back in the safe and not awkward environment of his own home Taecyeon continued to practice, working with fabric and thread he had already bought for his project. It didn't last long. His fingers were swollen and aching from careless stitching. His head ached too. Either everyone else was going crazy or he was, and he wasn't sure which one he hoped was the truth. But rather than ponder deep questions and think about his life like the grown up he was he took some pills and crawled into bed. The fact that he fell asleep snuggled against a pillow, arms wrapped tightly around it, didn't mean a damn thing.

He was probably the crazy one here.

XXXXX

There were no other cars on the streets besides Taecyeon's. It wasn't surprising considering the time, and thanks to it he felt a little less guilty about ignoring the speed limit. He wasn't one to be reckless but it wasn't often he was woken up at 1am by a poorly typed S.O.S text message. Junsu has asked if he could come pick him up from his house, and he found himself rushing out still in his pajamas to oblige.

Junsu was sitting on the front steps when Taecyeon pulled up to the curb. The house behind him was dark, no lights that Taecyeon could see, and Junsu himself seemed normal enough as he walked up to the car. He didn't say a word as he opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. 

After he was seated and buckled Taecyeon tried to draw something out of him, asking “Are you okay?”. All he received in return was a nod from a Junsu who was clearly not all there, his gaze focused out the window. Taecyeon figured that was good enough for now and didn't push. He simply put the car in drive and headed back to his place. 

The trip wasn't a long one but he was thankful when it was over and they were out of the car. At least here inside the house there were more distractions from the awkward silence than passing street lamps and trees. He waited until Junsu was seated on the sofa to offer some of them up.

“Do you wanna watch TV? A movie or something?”

Junsu shrugged which wasn't the answer Taecyeon was hoping for. Then he seemed to pull himself out of whatever world he had been lost in, looking up at Taecyeon.

_Thank you. For getting me._

“It's fine.” Taecyeon sat down on the sofa next to him. “You rarely ever ask me for favors so I figured it must have been important.” Again he prompted, and this time Junsu seemed ready to talk.

_My Dad was going crazy all night. Even after he went to sleep I couldn't stand it, wanted to get out of the house._

“You had a fight?” This took Taecyeon by surprise. He always thought Junsu and his dad had the perfect father-son relationship. When he tried to imagine his dad even yelling he couldn't create the picture. And he certainly couldn't think of Junsu doing something that was anger worthy. “What was it about?”

For a moment Taecyeon had thought he lost Junsu again to his own thoughts. He waited, watched, and eventually Junsu reached for the yellow legal pad that was kept on the coffee table. Taecyeon still kept it handy because sometimes they were lazy and sometimes, like now, Junsu seemed more comfortable writing than signing.

_Remember when u talked about climbing trees?_

“Yeah, sure. You told me you had never climbed one before.”

_U said....U said it made you feel like a super hero. U looked so happy when u talked about it. So I tried it. There's so much stuff I can't do but I wanted to try that one thing. I climbed to the top of a tree and pretended I could reach out and grab the moon if I wanted to. Stupid huh?_

Taecyeon laughed lightly. “Sounds like what I used to do when I was little. Your dad got so mad over that?”

Junsu shook his head, giving him a rather guilty looking smile.

_No. He'd never had known bout it at all cept I fell out of the tree. My arms weren't made fo climbing I guess. I ripped myself open on a branch and he had to sew me back up. Yelled the whole time._

At first Taecyeon thought he had misread, glancing back at the paper. But reading the words again only seemed to make the pit in his stomach drop further. Junsu had hurt himself, fallen out of a fucking tree, but here he was seemingly fine. Fallen out of a tree all because of something stupid he had said.

“Show me.”

_What?_

“The stitches, you idiot. I want to see just what the hell you did to yourself.”

He knew he was snapping. He knew that was probably the last thing he should be doing considering Junsu had come to his house to get away from being scolded. But he couldn't seem to hold his tongue or his anger.

_It's kind of big. And..._

“Just let me see.”

Junsu gave him a look he couldn't read and for a moment Taecyeon worried that he had crossed some kind of line. But crossed or not Junsu began to shrug his jacket off, tossing it to the other side of the sofa and out of the way. Taecyeon glanced at his arms but saw nothing, no new patches since the first time their positions had been like this. And then Junsu reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it up, and now Taecyeon could see it. Very clearly.

The thread was thick and black, more like yarn than normal thread. It ran in a haphazard line from Junsu's bellybutton up and up and up until it disappeared behind the still in place tshirt. It reminded Taecyeon of the dead bodies he had seen on cop shows, all sewn up and laying on a table in the morgue. He didn't enjoy the mental image. 

“This is...you really are a fucking idiot.”

Though he wanted to scold his voice betrayed him, words coming out soft and flat. He reached out and pressed against the end of the stitching, his fingers brushing slightly over bellybutton and Taecyeon could feel Junsu's stomach jump as a shiver ran down his spine. Slowly he let his touch travel up the line, following along the bumps and curves of the wound. 

He could see Junsu's chest rise and fall under his hand. It had been ripped open from top to bottom but he seemed unphased. There was no muscle to be torn, no heart beating to falter at the injury. Only fabric and stuffing that somehow made Junsu run. Further up he went, his fingers finally stopped by the edge of shirt that cut off the path. And he found himself pushing, flattening his palm out against Junsu's chest and pressing him back. He met no resistance. Junsu followed his force and leaned, shifting so he could lay his body along the sofa and head against the arm rest. 

Taecyeon used his other hand to push the hem of Junsu's shirt up further, moving aside his own hand that had been holding it up out of the way. Now he could see the full line of stitching. It ran further than he had expected, stopping up where a collarbone should have been. 

Along it he continued, his palm still flat and sliding against fabric as he did. He could feel Junsu's eyes on him, but he didn't break his focus to look back at him. 

The line crooked far to the side and now Taecyeon took notice of Junsu's nipples. He was surprised to see that he had them, or maybe he wasn't. All these things about Junsu didn't throw him off guard like they used to. They seemed hard, perk against his skin, and he wondered what they were made of. It would have been easy for his hand to stray and brush against them but he didn't. He simply followed the thread.

Finally the trail ended and the stitching was done. At the end the thread seemed even thicker, a knot of it marking where it had been tied off. He pressed against it with his index finder, maybe harder than he should have, but Junsu said nothing. 

“Fucking idiot.” 

Taecyeon repeated himself, voice croaking slightly. With his concentration broken he met Junsu's gaze now. Looking him in the eye he suddenly felt embarrassed, cheeks flushing, but Junsu looked back at him with a small smile. Taecyeon actually thought he looked sad. Then there was a hand over his, Junsu reaching up and wrapping his own around it and holding on. 

_I won't last forever. Trees or no trees. So I want to try things, new things no matter what they are._

Junsu's hand gave Taecyeon's a light squeeze and he found himself swallowing a lump in his throat he hadn't even known was there. It was too much at once. Things he didn't want to know and things he knew but didn't want to acknowledge. He was falling in love with someone that wasn't even human, someone that was telling him he wasn't permanent. 

“Don't. Not right now. Just...give me a second.”

He couldn't tell if he sounded annoyed or desperate but Junsu seemed to understand. He shifted again, tugging his shirt back down into its proper position before he drew his legs up from the side of the sofa and past Taecyeon. He moved so he was laying on his side, empty space next to him at the edge. And Taecyeon was more than happy to fill the space. He laid down, arm reaching out and tugging at Junsu's shoulder, pulling him against himself. 

“You know, I never expected my life would get this weird when I decided to leave home.”

Though he made no noise Taecyeon was pretty sure the way his shoulders hitched meant Junsu was laughing at him.

XXXXX

It might have been the tickle against his nose, or the sliver of sun that managed to find a path straight to his face. But suddenly Taecyeon was wide awake, staring up at his living room ceiling. It took a moment for the fact that he was laying on the floor to register, and that there was a Junsu arm hanging down from the sofa over his face. He didn't actually remember falling asleep, or apparently falling off onto the floor at some point in the night, but clearly both had happened.

He sat up, careful not to disturb Junsu's wayward body parts. He was still asleep, face buried into the corner of the sofa, the jacket he had taken off hours before made into a makeshift pillow. Seeing the jacket brought mental images into Taecyeon's mind and color to his cheeks so he made a hasty retreat into the kitchen. Coffee was needed in order to start this day off.

Before now Taecyeon had only used the coffee pot once or twice. He preferred to buy fancy coffees made with all the bells and whistle rather than brewing his own, but he wasn't going to leave to make the trip for one. He didn't know when Junsu would be up and he didn't want to be gone when he did, like some kind of one night stand. 

Even though this was his house, and they technically didn't do anything at all. 

It made more sense when he didn't try and look at it logically.

After a bit of coaxing and cursing the old machine spit him out a cup of coffee and he took it back into the living room where Junsu was now awake. He was busy patting down his apparent bedhead when Taecyeon came in, pausing as he did to give him a smile. It made something in Taecyeon's stomach flop and he quickly tried to burn the sensation away with a giant gulp from his mug.

_What time is it?_

“Round 11, give or take. You sleep alright?”

Junsu didn't answer with his hands, simply gave Taecyeon a raised eyebrow.

“Right.” He chuckled. “Well at least you got the sofa, I guess I spent most of my night on the floor. You're apparently a space hog.”

That earned him an eye roll, but neither of them made more small talk. Junsu stared at the carpet fibers and Taecyeon at his drink. It was probably shameful for two adults to be so useless. For Taecyeon it wasn't as if he had no past experience but his tongue still felt heavy and useless in his mouth.

“So uh, does this mean, you know....?” He gestured vaguely in the air, as if that would somehow make his point more clear. Junsu was quiet for a beat before answering.

_Maybe? I've never.........this is my first time with this sort of thing._

Suddenly Taecyeon felt even more stupid, Junsu in front of him with his head ducked away to the side as he signed, looking far different from the confident and clueless guy he usually saw. He should have guessed that this was probably even more of an awkward situation for him.

And truth be told, he felt something ping in his chest seeing Junsu so bashful and knowing he was the first to draw this kind of thing out of him. It was like a kind of perverse ego boost. This was something that was his and his alone.

He rounded the coffee table and sat down on the sofa next to Junsu, bumping his elbow against him purposefully as he did.

“I've only been with humans so we can figure all this out together.”

Junsu returned the shove, his arm lingering after, fabric of his elbow rubbing against Taecyeon's skin. It gave him goosebumps.

He could get used to this.

XXXXX

The first snow of the winter came quicker than Taecyeon had expected. It wasn't his first snow, but it was different here. The town streets had already been plowed and salted and yet the snow drifts looked untouched. They weren't the black, mushy piles of snow he was used to slogging through in the city.

Despite the fact that he couldn't feel the cold Junsu was bundled up tighter than Taecyeon, layers and accessories put on to try and keep out the snow. Taecyeon had tried to suggest they stay inside until the flurries had stopped but his suggestion was ignored. Junsu had smiled like he hadn't said anything at all and walked out the door.

So much for the protective boyfriend routine.

He had also teased mercilessly when Junsu suggested they go and walk through the park after Taecyeon had satisfied his hot chocolate craving. It wasn't that he didn't like the idea, but he didn't need Junsu to know what a sappy romantic he was deep down inside. At least not yet.

Their arms swung at their sides, Taecyeon's mitten covered hand clasping Junsu's that was safely hidden beneath a leather glove. The city hadn’t bothered to clear off the path winding through the park and no one had passed through but them, their shoe prints the only thing marking the area aside from stray squirrel tracks. It was a perfect blank canvas waiting for someone to come along and fill it. 

“Look, there's one!”

Taecyeon pointed out toward the base of a tree before he took off in a run, Junsu following behind him with their hands still attached. He picked up the lost branch that lay there, half buried under snow. A moment of inspection and he gave a satisfied nod. 

“This one should work, don't you think?”

Junsu nodded.

“Alright! Let's see.”

Now Taecyeon let go on Junsu's hand, walking a few paces away from him to a clear patch of snow. The branch made a smack as he tapped it against his coat, giving serious thought to what to draw first. Junsu watched, allowing the 'artist' to ponder his work.

After careful consideration Taecyeon seemed to decide, bending down and beginning to drag the branch across the snow. It cut through the soft powder easily. He walked this way and that, careful to keep his footprints out of his work area. 

“Done!”

He stood aside and Junsu came up next to him to observe his work. He stared at it for a few seconds before turning to Taecyeon with an amused grin.

_And what is it exactly?_

“Can't you tell? Ears, head, feet, tail,” he gestured to each part with the branch as he spoke, “and I even gave it whiskers.”

_A mutant cat?_

“It's not mutant.” Taecyeon whacked Junsu with the branch this time, though there was no real force behind it. “I'd like to see you make something better.”

Junsu accepted the challenge and held out his hand. Taecyeon passed the branch and Junsu moved a few feet to the side, away from him and his drawing. Then he began to create one of his own, not stopping to think about what he wanted to do. 

Taecyeon watched, his frown growing as Junsu drew.

_There._

Junsu turned back to face Taecyeon, hands on his hips, looking smug. Before him in the snow was a perfectly sketched flower, a rose to be exact. The lines had been made carefully and precisely. It was rather pretty for a simple doodle in the snow.

So Taecyeon decided to stomp on it. 

“Beginners luck!” For added emphasis he blew an extra loud raspberry at a now very stunned Junsu, snatching the branch from him before he could react. “I was just getting warmed up, I'll show you how to draw something really amazing.”

He quickly began another doodle in the snow, determined to redraw his cat perfectly this time. Not that it wasn't already perfect the first time but if Junsu couldn't see that he'd do an even better job with this one. With a final flick of the branch he twirled around to face Junsu again.

“Ta-”

As soon as Taecyeon opened his mouth was it filled by a giant ball of snow hitting him square in the face. He sputtered, eyes squeezing closed reflexively just in time. His fingers brushed across his skin, wiping the snow away, though it had already made his face numb.

“What the fuck!” He tried to glare at Junsu but it felt like his eyelashes had frozen to his face, leaving him stiff. “You could have blinded me or something!”

_Yeah? And what are you going to do about it, Mr. Sore Loser?_

The same smug grin was still plastered on Junsu's face and he raised an eyebrow. This was a challenge but Junsu was fighting dirty. 

“I'm not going to do anything. You know I can't, Mr. Cheater.”

_Can't or won't? Afraid you'll miss?_

Taecyeon huffed, trying to ignore the goading. If this was anyone else he would have already dumped a whole truckload of snow all over his attacker, not willing to lose in a snowball fight. But this was Junsu. Junsu who was filled with cotton and put together with fraying thread and thin fabric. He wasn't exactly snow resistant.

He was about to give up and walk away, ignore his usual pride and let Junsu be the winner. But then he remembered what he had said the night he had nearly killed himself with a tree. This wasn't about winning or getting back at Taecyeon for messing up his picture. It was about experiencing something new, trying what he'd never tried before. Taecyeon would bet money that Junsu had never played around in the snow for real, never been allowed to build snowmen or make snow angels. But he wanted to try it now, with him.

Taecyeon leaned down and picked up a handful of the snow at his feet. He slowly formed it into a ball, watching Junsu as he did.

“I never miss.” 

And then like a horse out of the gate Junsu was off, turning and breaking into a straight run. Taecyeon was right behind him with snow ready in hand. After only a few seconds Junsu changed course, making a run for the safety of a tree. He was fast, but Taecyeon was faster, and he let his snowball fly. It zoomed across and hit Junsu squarely in the back with a loud splat before he could take cover. Taecyeon let out a yelp of triumph but he wasn't done yet, arm already reaching down to scoop up another handful of snow.

The park erupted in a mini-snow storm, both boys stumbling this way and that, flinging snowballs at each other relentlessly. As the fight went on the snowballs became less and less shaped until eventually the pair were kicking and flinging snow at each other senselessly, a cloud of white surrounding them. 

It was Junsu who finally went in for the kill. He tackled Taecyeon and they both went down, the fluff cushioning their fall with a faint whump. A handful shoved down his shirt had Taecyeon crying Uncle and waving his hands in surrender.

“Okay okay! You are the snow king! Just let me- let me catch my breath.” He laid on his back in the snow, Junsu perched on his stomach. His whole body ached from the cold and the inside of his chest stung, his lungs working over time trying to make up for lost air. Though he made no noise Taecyeon could see Junsu was as out of breath as he was, his chest heaving behind a very snowy shirt. Taking the mitten off of one hand he reached up and grabbed a handful of the wet fabric.

“You're really soaked.”

Junsu didn't seem bothered, shrugging the observation off. 

_You're a good shot._

XXXXX

Taecyeon insisted that Junsu come home with him to dry off, partly because he wasn't ready to get rid of him and partly because he wasn't sure his father would still think he was a nice kid if he sent his son home looking like a wet mop. There was a hair dryer in the bathroom and that seemed like the best idea.

“You won't shrink or anything will you?”

Junsu sat on toilet, Taecyeon next to him on the edge of the bathtub. Junsu gave his head a shake, but he made no move to take off his wet clothes.

“Good. I'll put it on low, just in case. If you think you're about to catch on fire or something tell me and I'll turn it off.” He stood and picked up the hair dryer from the counter. “Go ahead and take your shirt off and we can hang it on the shower rod. I don't have a clothes dryer here.”

Junsu fidgeted, pointedly not looking up at Taecyeon.

_My legs are wet too._

That made Taecyeon pause. “Oh. Well uh. I can close my eyes if you want. I promise I won't compromise your purity.”

At that Junsu's face scrunched up, and Taecyeon was sure if he could he would be blushing. But even more surprising were the tears that suddenly seemed to fill his eyes. Now Taecyeon was on alert, letting the hair dryer clatter to the floor as he crouched down to be level with Junsu.

“Hey, hey, I was only kidding. I'll leave if you want. You can dry off by yourself if that makes you more comfortable. Don't cry.” His hands hovered, not sure if any kind of comfort would only make it worse. 

_It's not that. It's....embarrassing._

“What could be so embarrassing? You can tell me, if you want. I won't laugh.”

_I don't have. Down there. You know, it's._

Junsu stopped, his hands clenching into fists out of frustration. 

_I'm like a Ken doll. Whole lotta nothing._

Taecyeon fell silent at that. It certainly wasn't what he had expected Junsu to say, but he was surprised at how little surprise he actually felt. This was just another thing. Another part of Junsu that was different, no big deal.

“Junsu, look at me. Come on.” Now his hands found purpose, reaching up and cupping the sides of Junsu's face to force them to be eye to eye. Junsu's gaze wavered this way and that but finally he looked at Taecyeon. “It's okay. Don't worry about something like that, I don't care. I like you exactly how you are, weird bits and all. Exactly. Got it?”

Junsu nodded, though he still didn't look entirely convinced. Taecyeon let his thumb brush lightly against Junsu's jaw, putting on his best grin.

“Besides, there are plenty of....alternatives we can look into should we get to that point.”

That seemed to do the trick and now Junsu brightened, returning a smile.

_Pervert._

“You'll come to appreciate it. So no more crying, you're supposed to be drying off remember?”

Taecyeon let go of Junsu's face and stood back up, retrieving the hair dryer from the floor as he did so. He handed it over to Junsu and turned, leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him without further comment. 

When the time came he'd rather it be out of want, not necessity.

He went to his bedroom to change out of his own wet clothes, the buzz of the dryer filling his usually quiet house.

XXXXX

“We can dump everything in the living room and sort it out there.”

Taecyeon called out from behind an armful of bags, his foot kicking open the front door of his rental. Junsu was behind him with his own haul. They piled into the house and happily threw everything onto the sofa. 

It had been a long, tiring day of shopping. Or tiring to Taecyeon who usually tried to make his trips to any store last no more than 10 minutes no matter his purpose. Granted it had been his idea to go but that didn't mean he had to like it. Junsu had been spending more and more time over at his place, and while he hadn't made any comments to Taecyeon, he could tell he was itching to make changes. The house was mostly filled with cheap old hand-me-downs that had already been there when he moved in, or equally cheap things he bought from the thrift store. A little updating was probably a good thing. And plus, if he was going to be sharing the bed with someone else on the regular it would probably be a good idea to have more than two set of sheets.

Taecyeon sat down on the sofa and Junsu plucked a bag up from next to him, taking a seat on the floor.

“That was way too much work. I'm ready for bed now.”

_Baby. You still have to unpack everything._

Junsu teased and Taecyeon gave him the finger in return. He shook his head at that, turning his attention to the bag in front of him, and Taecyeon could tell from his shoulders he was laughing.

“Laugh it up. Next time I have to clean all this new stuff I just might use you as a dust rag.”

Taecyeon slid off of the sofa and down onto the floor with Junsu in defeat. The sooner that they got everything put away the sooner he could lay down for a nap and take his personal teddy with him. Picking out bag of his own he rooted around, finding one of the cheap packs of sheets he had picked out. He tugged at the plastic wrapping but it wouldn't budge. Then he gave our a growl as if that would somehow give him super human strength and allow him to open it. No such luck.

“Hey, go into the kitchen drawer and get out a pair of scissors. I can't open this stupid thing.”

Junsu did as asked with only a minimal amount of good natured glaring, getting up from his own sorting and disappearing into the kitchen. Taecyeon moved on to another item in the meantime, opening a new box up.

A loud crash from the kitchen drew his attention and he jumped up, following after it. 

“Junsu? Everything alright?”

In the kitchen he found Junsu was kneeling on the floor, the upset drawer laying nearby with its contents spilled. He couldn't answer Taecyeon with his hands, one arm hanging uselessly by his side and the other grasping his shoulder, but he didn't have to. Taecyeon could see the rip in his arm and the stuffing that had escaped, falling onto the floor.

“Oh shit. Hang on, I can fix this. Hang on.”

Quick as he could Taecyeon ran to his bedroom. He flung the closet open and pulled a container down from the shelf, bringing it back to the kitchen. He could see Junsu was giving him a confused look but he didn't wait to explain. He kicked the scattered drawer clutter out of the way and sat next to Junsu, opening up the box.

Inside were all the sewing supplies he had bought. Fabric, needles, thread. 

“I have black thread, but it's only the regular kind. And I don't have any fabric like your patches. But if I stitch you up it should hold until someone else can redo it, right? It won't hurt too much will it?”

Junsu shook his head no, trying to give Taecyeon a reassuring smile. 

“Right.”

Though he had become better at sewing since his first lesson it didn't seem to show. His hands shook, making it almost impossible to thread his needle. The fact that his heart was pounding like a kick drum wasn't helping. He tried to rationalize that Junsu was fine, even if he was sitting in his kitchen with his arm barely hanging on after ripping off when he opened a drawer of all things, he would be fine. He wasn't like normal people, it was fine.

Perfectly fine.

Junsu shifted his hold on his arm, grasping it at the elbow instead so Taecyeon could get to the tear. Before trying to sew it up he had to push at the stuffing that was sticking out, packing it back inside Junsu's body. If it bothered him Junsu didn't show it, face neutral.

Taecyeon began at the left side, making his way across. It was a large rip going almost from armpit to the back of the shoulder. Since the string was thin he tried his best to make the stitching small and tight, threading it as close as he could manage. It felt wrong to touch Junsu like this, one hand trying to pitch together his skin while the other punched holes in it, but he pushed the thought from his mind and focused on putting him back together. That was the important thing. 

It was turning out crooked and sloppy and his hands still wouldn't cooperate but he worked as fast as he could.

He didn't know how long it took to finish the job. There was a clock on the wall, but he had never thought to look at it. It felt like he had been working for hours when he finally pulled the needle for the last time, cutting the thread free with the scissors that had put Junsu in the kitchen the begin with. Sitting the needle back inside the box he sagged, body no longer tight with concentration.

“Is that good enough?”

Testing it out Junsu rolled his shoulder and moved his arm up and down, both of them keeping an eye on the stitches. They seemed to hold with no ripping or popping out of place. 

_When did you learn to sew?_

“About that. You know how for your birthday I got you those CDs you wanted? That wasn't what I was going to give you originally.”

Taecyeon pulled his sewing box into his lap, digging through the fabric and pulling up something from the bottom. A doll. It was crude and unfinished, missing legs and most of its face.

“I thought it would be funny to give you dolls of people you knew, that way you wouldn't be the only one. As a bonus you could torture them whenever you wanted. I couldn't even finish this first one of me though. It turned out to be a lot harder than I expected.”

Junsu took the doll from him, turning it over in his hands and inspecting it. 

“I actually asked your dad for help. He taught me how to do all the basic things.”

_You're pretty amazing. You know that?_

“But I couldn't even finish one, I had to ask you what you wanted for your own birthday. It was a stupid ass idea.”

_It wasn't. You didn't finish but I'd like you to. Just this one, I don't mind waiting._

The doll found its way back into Taecyeon's hands, Junsu holding onto both of them. He had just nearly lost an arm but he looked so damn happy, like someone had told him he'd won a million dollars. Taecyeon found he couldn't resist the smile on his face.

Though he had shamelessly daydreamed about it before, it wasn't anything like that. He had been prepared for it to feel strange at first. To be something he would have to get used to. But with his lips pressed against Junsu's now, sitting on his dirty kitchen floor surrounded by stray fabric and junk, it felt perfect. Junsu's lips were warm beneath his and the stitching that kept them shut tight was soft, tickling his skin in a pleasant way. 

At first Junsu was stiff, surprised, but Taecyeon placed a hand on his hip and gave a reassuring squeeze. He could feel him relax under his grip, body leaning in and returning the kiss.

When Taecyeon broke away a part of him ached to keep going, find out just what they could do together right here on the floor. 

“Another new thing you've tried. Not bad right?”

Taecyeon let his hand slip under the edge of Junsu's shirt, fingers swirling against the fabric of his hip. He enjoyed the rather flustered expression Junsu had. 

_So this means you don't mind being with someone who will frequently lose limbs?_

Taecyeon made a humming noise in the back of his throat as if he was considering the question, his hand sliding further into Junsu's shirt and up his side. If suffering through minor heart attacks now and then was what it took to be with Junsu he figured that was an even trade.

“Guess not. Just try to keep yourself in one piece when you meet my mom, she might be less understanding.”

This time when Taecyeon leaned in for another kiss Junsu met him half-way there.


End file.
